'Learnt lesson of concentration from Dravid'

'Learnt lesson of concentration from Dravid'

Ambitious Australian opener Shane Watson had spoken to his IPL teammate Rahul Dravid to improve concentration level while batting so that he could convert good starts into big scores just like the Indian Test star.

Watson, only Australian named among 17 nominees for the ICC Cricketer of the Year award, is not happy himself since he has squandered many a good starts.

"To get bigger scores is a burning ambition for me. It's something that I really want to be able to get right before the end of my career and being able to capitalise on the good days," said Watson as he prepares for Test series against Sri Lanka.

'I've got to be mentally tougher'

The burly opener has 15 Test half-centuries and two hundreds in 27 Tests with the highest being 126 against India in Mohali last October.

"I've talked to different people about it because there's no doubt that I need to learn and get better at it. In the end, it really just comes down to my concentration and being able to block out anything that's going around. It's about getting back to what's the most important thing for all batsmen, which is watching the ball.

"I've talked to Ricky Ponting a bit but during the IPL I talked to Rahul Dravid. He was at Rajasthan with me. I had a few really good chats with him about what his processes that he goes through to be able to bat for a long period of time," Watson was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.

"I've got to be mentally tougher to make sure I do get through those periods where your concentration starts to lapse," he added.